Chobe Holdings: A Beacon Of Hope In The Northern Region

Chobe Holdings:

A Beacon Of Hope In The Northern Region

By Chedza Mmolawa

The Chobe Holdings Group is a giant in the tourism industry, boasting eleven beautiful eco-tourism lodges and camps on leased land in Northern Botswana and the Caprivi Strip in Namibia through its trading companies Ker & Downey Botswana (KDB) and Desert & Delta Safaris (DDS). The company has operated in Botswana for over 40 years, showcasing the country's beautiful natural habitat and providing once-in-a-lifetime experiences for its guests. As they continued operating over the years, Chobe Holdings saw it fit to give back to the community and uplift the people who were a part of the rich culture of Botswana.

The Chobe Holdings CSR Liaison Officer at Travel for Impact, Tshephang Gaebope, took us through the company's robust and impressive CSI portfolio. She explained that even though the Covid-19 pandemic hurt the tourism industry worldwide, Chobe Holdings remains resilient in its cause to uplift and leave a sustainable impact on the lives of underprivileged Batswana in the very communities their camps operate in.

KER & DOWNEY BOTSWANA (KDB) PROJECTS Bana Ba Letsatsi (BBL) Bana ba Letsatsi is a centre located in Maun that offers psychological support to underprivileged and vulnerable children. The centre has been operating for many years with support from Ker & Downey Botswana and has continued to make positive changes in the lives of children. KDB has been supporting Bana Ba Letsatsi for years with annual donations of P250,000 going towards the operational costs of the centre, and supporting activities such as the Environmental Club by enlisting professional guides to talk to the children about conservation. The children and staff are taken on an end-of-year trip, where they get to visit one of the camps and experience touring deltas and game reserves.

"Additionally, KDB will be taking an active role in building new spaces at the centre, and has pledged P480,000 towards the building. The new building means larger space for the centre, and it will allow the staff to help even more children with more resources at hand," explained Gaebope.

Mathiba Primary School: Joint Collaboration between KDB & DDS Ker & Downey Botswana officially adopted Mathiba Primary School under the 'Adopt A School' Program set up by the Government of Botswana. The company has since bought potter cabins and delivered them so the school may be able to have functioning preschool classes. The preschool is currently functioning with two classrooms fitted with electricity, air condition-

ing, and classroom furniture. The company sponsors the school's prize-giving ceremonies, allowing the school to appreciate the student’s well-deserving work. The staff is also taken on annual retreats in recognition of their hard work and meeting the school’s set targets.

DESERT & DELTA SAFARIS (DDS) Khumaga Village & Primary School Khumaga is a village located in the Boteti region in Botswana. The reason Khumaga Village was selected was because of the village's proximity to Leroo La Tau (LLT), a camp owned by the group. This is a demonstration of the company's commitment to supporting initiatives within their areas of operation. LLT has taken the initiative to help Khumaga Primary School by providing them with resources such as Primary School Leavers Exam (PSLE) revision books, planning and hosting an annual career day Fair at the camp for Standard 7 students (last year of primary school). The community of Khumaga has also been getting support from DDS by sponsoring Khumaga Village Independence Day celebrations through an assortment of gift vouchers. The village has also established a playgroup that receives donations such as toys, chairs, and graduation gowns.

Tsodilo Secondary School DDS officially 'adopted' Tsodilo Secondary School through the government initiative of 'Adopt a School' in 2013, and since then, the students have also received donations such as uniforms and other school essentials for 20 underprivileged students. The beneficiaries are identified by the school, and are taken care of financially so that they focus solely on their education. The school also receives a generous donation towards their annual prize-giving ceremonies. Additionally, 20 children (10 top achievers and 10 underprivileged children) are sponsored for a weekend at Leroo La Tau, so the children can experience being tourists, with the hope of instilling newfound respect and appreciation of the industry in them.

Botswana Accountancy College 'Leaders for the Future' Program Desert & Delta Safaris is invested in education to equip young Batswana with managerial skills in the tourism industry. Recognizing the value of creating opportunities for the youth of Botswana, especially those from the north, DDS has developed a sponsorship program, which grants a full educational scholarship in areas that relate to tourism operation and management to candidates who meet the appropriate requirements and criteria.

The sponsorship entails a three-year degree course at Botswana Accountancy College (BAC), followed by a 2-year internship with DDS at one of their camps. DDS has already successfully sent five students to further their educational interests, and two of these students have already graduated, while the remaining two are still pursuing their studies. Gaebope said, unfortunately one of the promising young stars passed away, and it was a painful loss to her family and the DDS family. "The Leaders of the Future program has produced sustainable results, not only for the company but for the bright young stars as-well, by guaranteeing them a future in the hospitality industry at an international level," she emphasised.

PSUB Herbarium Desert & Delta Safaris was excited to offer its support to the Peter Smith University of Botswana Herbarium, for their data digitization project. The Herbarium holds the botanical legacy collection of Peter Smith, who spent a substantial amount of his life working in the Okavango Delta studying its diverse flora. With the help of DDS, the herbarium will now be able to construct a database that will capture all of the valuable information about the Okavango Delta's flora. It will provide a botanical history of Botswana, where the benefits use the beauty of Botswana's rich natural heritage, and can be preserved for the country's future.

The database will provide insight for scientists and researchers on issues in land planning, environmental monitoring, vegetation composition and change, fire, flooding, medical, nutritional, and cultural values. The Flora of Northern Botswana contains a lot of stories about the Okavango Delta's natural history and about human intervention in its pristine environment. The stories can only be unravelled, revealed, and shared if citizens care to preserve and study the indigenous plants of Botswana and their natural benefits to both animal and human populations.

DDS has made contributions of P50,000 annually for three years now, and Xugana Island Lodge has used sketches and samples of some of the species collected as part of the décor of the camp to embrace the flora of the Okavango delta.

Sedie Hotel (Maun), which is now a part of DDS, has pledged a wall for the sketches of the samples to be displayed at the hotel, where patrons can see and understand more about the flora of the Okavango Delta.